Local Living
My last week in Lima kicks off with a river rafting experience followed by ATV riding through the mountains. My group and I will spend the rest of the week at a Peruvian university to take history classes and practice our Spanish with the local college students. The students I have encountered so far have given my some great tips on food to try and places to check out in my free time. My improved Spanish is very useful in these situations. I recommend that anyone considering this Dialogue think about their level of Spanish ability before coming. It is great to be able to converse yourself with locals and get their recommendations, and you will pride yourself on the Spanish you learn here. For anyone with less experience, it is still relatively easy to get around the language barrier, and other Northeastern students will always be around to help out.
When I am not in class, on excursions, or tutoring younger students, my friends and I go out for dinner and nightlife afterwards. We always start by taking a recommendation from a teacher or student, and trying the restaurant they suggest. Bartenders and waiters are always full of nightclub recommendations, parks, and activities for the future. We meet the most people on weekends and nights at clubs and bars. Ten minutes walk from Parque de Kennedy are two streets called Calle Berlin and Calle Pizzas that are crowded with people and lined with bars, clubs, and restaurants.
Sunday ended with a wine tasting and a visit to a honey orchard in Lunahuana, which is south of Lima. I enjoyed some treats from both on the bus ride back to Lima that night. I purchased a jar each of avocado and grape honey. Back home, I used to eat honey by the jar, fresh from local farmers in my hometown, Cumberland, Rhode Island. I couldn’t help but buy some flavors I have never had before here in Peru. Some other interesting souvenirs include a bottle of spicy pepper sauce -ahi- for my brother, and a chess set with Incan warriors and colors instead of the traditional set for my father.
I actually have an item for each of my family members: my brother, mother, father, and grandmother. The total of all my souvenir shopping only cost me around $20 USD. That seems inexpensive in American money, but the items were of sound quality and I know my family will enjoy and appreciate them. Each US dollar is worth over 3 Peruvian soles, and items are worth half of their American value. A meal in the US that is $20 costs is around $7-$8 in Lima, and that includes tax and tip. I try to spend less than 50 soles a day, which is around $15. It starts to get expensive when we go out at night. Drinks and cover charges to get into clubs can add up quickly, and it is good money-managing practice for when I return to the States (where it is much more expensive) because I am turning 21 soon. When I am careful, I can go out to eat four or five times a week and only spend around $100 USD a week. I carry both American and Peruvian currency, but everything is paid in Peruvian soles. I keep some American cash on me as a reserve, but on night time excursions and dinners I keep the majority of my American money at home. No one from Northeastern has been robbed, but it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.
